Teen Titans #12 review

Batman is missing, Gotham is in bad shape, and the Teen Titans are flying in to make it all better! As Dark Nights: Metal takes over the DC Universe, everyone’s favorite turd in a hood leads his team into danger. Action, adventure, and fun await in Teen Titans #12—just make sure you read Metal #2 first—there be spoilers ahead for that and this!

A mighty-fine tie-in

When I thought about some of the major DC events of the last few years, and the tie-ins that accompanied them, I started to worry that this issue of Teen Titans would be a massive waste of my time—a four-dollar chance to tread water while the real action happens in another book. Happily, for the second time this week, I was wrong.

I have only one complaint of any substance, so I’m going to address it up front. We get it: Beast Boy is mad at Damian for kicking Kid Flash out. It certainly makes sense that he’s still mad, but for what feels like a good little while now, each issue of Teen Titans has featured the now-standard line where Beast Boy takes a shot at Damian over this. It’s never a major sticking point, either—just a little tweet to remind us that this particular birdie is still there. Why not have Beast Boy storm off himself in protest? It would be very meaningful, and it would eliminate the need for these nagging reminders.

Thankfully, we get through this recurring annoyance right near the start. The rest of the intro isn’t too bad, either, but it is pretty insignificant compared to the main draw of the issue: Robin, Green Arrow, Harley, and Killer Croc fighting their way through a Riddler-designed maze with a giant Minotaur at the center (Happy Anniversary!). And it’s as wild, crazy, and hilarious as you might expect. I won’t spoil any of the specific moments here, because even knowing the team-up is there, the particulars are still quite fantastic and worth experiencing yourself. Suffice it to say that the interplay between Damian and Ollie, and then Harley and everybody is a real delight.

That’s really all there is to it. There’s a little bit of advancement for the overall Metal story, and some frightening looks at the Batman Who Laughs’ Robins, and the promise of a gigantic ice monster in next week’s Nightwing, but the real prize here is the fun in the maze. Great dialogue, sweetly rendered action by Andolfo, and a pretty good riddle to boot. I think most of us could have a lot of fun with this, even if we weren’t already reading Metal or Teen Titans.

Recommended if…

You enjoy classic Harley humor

You like seeing Croc bite stuff

You dig mazes filled with death traps

Overall

A decent tie-in to Metal, Teen Titans #12 shines brightest when enjoyed for just what it contains: a delightful romp through a deadly maze with some of DC’s most distinct characters. Superbly illustrated by Mirka Andolfo and colored by my favorite, the masterful Romulo Fajardo, Jr., Teen Titans #12 is a good time for all, whether you’ve been reading the related books or not.